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At ten o’clock that night, Lindsay had checked that her doors were locked, as usual, before shutting the lights off and going to bed. She assumed she was safe within the protection of her apartment walls. A typical night coupled with a typical attitude. At four o’clock in the morning, Lindsay’s night drastically changed. Her worst fear had crept out of her nightmares and forced its way into her bedroom.

“Don’t make a sound or I’ll kill you…just do exactly what I say” — a ruthless command and a lethal threat on an innocent human being. This was not a practical joke carried out by a friend. It was real and it was happening to Lindsay — a tall, think, ultra-feminine woman who had always thought with confidence, “It (rape) won’t happen to me.” But there he was and there she was.

While Lindsay slept a man had broken into her locked apartment and moved silently into her bedroom. He woke her from a peaceful sleep with the forceful words, “Don’t make a sound, don’t move.” That statement would repeat over and over in her mind for years to come.

As this angry man, a man that she had never seen before in her life — stood over her in her bedroom; made one last reminder for her not to do anything. Lindsay’s mind raced back to her self-defense workshop that she had taken, she was reminded of the emphasis placed on fighting back in order to surprise the attacker.

Don’t think of anything other than survival.

Look for your window of opportunity – it may be as little as five seconds – when he is vulnerable and to use it to your advantage.

Fight back.

And that is what she did. She knew she needed to remain calm, assess the best time for defense, and strike.

Lindsay did just that. As she watched his body fly across the room, Lindsay was amazed to see the shock on his face. He was caught physically and mentally off-guard by her blow that she landed him in the chest with both of her feet, using all the force she could gather. Lindsay had enough time to escape. As she ran out of her apartment to get help, he ran too…not after her, but away from her.

Lindsay experienced a life-threatening situation. It is our responsibility to ensure our own safety. You may be wondering why Lindsay didn’t hear her intruder as there were no noises of a break-in; the man had a key from the previous tenant who lived in the apartment….previous to Lindsay.

The landlord never changed the locks when Lindsay moved in!

Personal safety is a habit not a fear. I’ve had students tell me that their family members think that they are scared or paranoid because they lock doors even when they are home; when they go out to walk the dog and in their car. I’ve heard many parents say that having your children’s carton images with their age and name on your vehicle window was not dangerous. All of us in the personal safety arena agree, IT IS DANGEROUS! Ask any pedophile who wants an easy target.

The fact is, paranoia will freeze you with fear and fear is the most dangerous mindset of all.

Trust your gut feelings, your instincts, intuition

Be aware of your surroundings

Establish and enforce your personal boundaries

Exhibit confident body language

Incorporate safety tips into your daily routine and life

The benefits of personal safety impact your entire life in a positive manner. “An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.”—-Benjamin Franklin

The people who tell you or call you paranoid for being aware and safe are O-B-L-I-V-I-O-U-S!

The impact of being oblivious and not facing the fact that all type of crimes and assaults are happening on a daily basis is an individual with blinders on. Electing not be educated or taught how to be safe is just downright ludicrous.

ob·liv·i·ous = unmindful; unconscious; unaware

Synonym – absent-minded (so lost in thought that one does not realize what one is doing, what is happening, etc.; preoccupied to the extent of being unaware of one’s immediate surroundings)

There is nothing wrong with being the brightest light bulb in the room!

Dating violence is rampant and “It’s Time To Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” for parents, educators and females of all ages and our communities. Get your heads out of the sand and stop thinking, “it won’t happen to me”, “my daughter is bright/smart-no one would ever harm her”. The reality is…..anyone can be a victim and the sooner that everyone realizes this and starts to take pro-active measures and step up to educate and train our females in all respects the sooner we can make a solid attempt to stop abuse. Education that she will have the rest of her life, SHE IS WORTHY AND DESERVES IT. You (parents and girls) will have to take the first step to personal safety.

The abuse that transpires is not the victim’s fault. Who is to blame is the abuser, the system, parents, our communities, our education departments (middle schools/high schools/colleges). Yes, I’ve said it and there’s no sugar coating. We as a society have so much at our fingertips to at least attempt to cut abuse off at the chase that is not taken advantage of. Ask yourself, why is that?

Too many women are dying at the hands of their abusers or assailants; TIME’S UP……….the cycle of violence must be stopped. A female can be educated to heighten her awareness whereas all of her senses come to full alert. What is the difference between an healthy and unhealthy relationship. Males must be educated as well by men who take a stance in the arena of Men Against Violence.

Join us as we chat with Joanna and her listeners about personal safety for females on Sunday, May 30th, 9:30pmEST. We’ll discuss our workshops, what personal safety entails and much more.

Jake will share with us his perspective from an instructor and male advocate point of view about violence against females.

We will take a look back over the last month to discuss abuse and assaults on females (Yeardley Love, Eve Carson, and the Angels of Husson University).

The number to call into the show with questions or comments is :

1-347-934-0024

Please join us live in the chat room or email questions or comments to anny@annyjacoby.com.

About Anny

Anny is a Survivor of Domestic Violence with many years as a Certified Advocate. She firmly believes that EVERY female has the absolute right to protect and defend herself mentally, emotionally, spiritually and ultimately physically.
Anny received her PDR (Personal Defense Readiness) Instructor Certification in 2008.
Anny is also a Steward's of Children Authorized Facilitator and Prevention Specialist who trains adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through Darkness to Light's certification programs.
www.annyjacoby.com
www.realisticfemaleselfdefense.com
www.projectsafegirls.com
anny@annyjacoby.com

Disclaimer

All situations are different. Although the techniques and strategies taught by Anny Jacoby and other Personal Defense Readiness Instructors have been effective in
many situations; no guarantees are made that what is suggested or taught through Jacoby & Associates, dba The Realistic Female Self-Defense Company and
Project Safe Girls will work effectively in every or any situation. Therefore, Jacoby & Associates, LLC, The Realistic Female Self-Defense Company, Project Safe Girls, its founder and all representatives of aforementioned WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH) THAT ACCOMPANY OR RESULT FROM YOUR USE OF ANY OF ITS SITES, ANY INSTRUCTION OR SUGGESTED TECHNIQUES OR STRATEGIES.